Chapter 67 The Deal with the Governor

"Governor," Mu Xin said, his voice softening slightly, "I am not here to threaten you. I am here to make a deal with you."

"You help me acquire the power company, and I will pave the way for your children."

"How exactly do you intend to pave it?" Governor DeWine's voice was a bit hoarse.

"Your eldest son, a partner at a law firm." Mu Xin smiled and held up one finger.

"If I provide his law firm with no less than one million dollars in legal service contracts annually, wouldn't he become a core partner at the firm?"

"His clients would no longer just be those connections brought in by your influence, but a solid, large client paying continuously every year."

"Even after you leave office, he will remain an indispensable person at the firm."

Governor DeWine's lips moved, but he said nothing.

"Your second son, a private equity investment manager." Mu Xin held up a second finger.

"If my hotel projects, power plant projects, and future projects are all handed over to his fund for financing structure design, wouldn't he become the best-performing investment manager in the company?"

"Not relying on your phone calls to keep his job, but rising based on his own performance."

"The scale of financing I need annually will be no less than thirty million dollars. Where this money comes from, how it comes, and in what form—that will all be his job."

"After you leave office, his boss won't fire him just because you're gone, because he holds me as a client."

Governor DeWine tapped his fingers on the desk twice, the rhythm very slow.

"Your daughter." Mu Xin held up a third finger.

"If I build a non-profit educational foundation in Oxford Town and have her serve as the executive director with an annual salary of no less than three hundred thousand dollars, wouldn't she have a career of her own?"

"No longer just someone's wife or someone's daughter, but the head of a certain foundation—a solid professional achievement that can be written on a resume."

"After you leave office, she will still be a person of status, not because of you, but because of what she has accomplished herself."

Mu Xin retracted his three fingers, crossed his hands on the table, and looked into Governor DeWine's eyes.

"Governor, these are all legal, transparent, and auditable transactions."

"This is not bribery, not a transfer of benefits, but normal business cooperation."

"My project needs legal services, and I went to your son's law firm. What's the problem with that?"

"My project needs financing, and I went to your son's fund. What's the problem with that?"

"I want to do charity, and I hired your daughter to manage the foundation. What's the problem with that?"

"There is no problem at all." Governor DeWine's voice was very soft, as if talking to himself.

"Correct, no problem at all," Mu Xin repeated.

"So you don't need to do anything against the rules. You only need to do what you are already doing: support businesses and investors in Ohio."

"It's just that this time, the investor happens to be me, and my project happens to be able to help your family."

The office fell silent.

Governor DeWine leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, as if thinking about something very important, or perhaps making a very difficult decision.

Mu Xin did not rush him, just sat there quietly, watching the sunlight outside the window move bit by bit.

He knew Governor DeWine would agree.

Not because the terms were so tempting, but because Governor DeWine was already seventy-nine years old.

Principles are a luxury for the young; for the elderly, the necessities are security and peace of mind—knowing that after they are gone, their children will still be able to live well.

He was not threatening Governor DeWine; he was stating a fact: you help me, I help your children; if you don't help me, your children will remain exactly as they are now.

Governor DeWine opened his eyes and looked at Mu Xin. There was a complex emotion in those eyes—not gratitude, not anger.

But a kind of helplessness, the kind of resigned helplessness that comes only after someone has grasped your weak spot.

"Mr. Mu," Governor DeWine's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "a person like you… I really shouldn't have met you."

Mu Xin smiled but said nothing.

"Today is only the second time I've met you, and you're not even sparing my children."

"Next time we meet, are you going to arrange things for my grandchildren too?"

"If you need me to," Mu Xin's tone was very calm, "I can help your grandchild apply to Columbus College, and I will cover the tuition."

"Of course, those Ivy League schools can also be managed, can't they?"

"Donating a library for twenty million dollars to get your grandchild into Harvard University is a very cost-effective business deal."

Governor DeWine looked at him, silent for a long time, and then suddenly laughed.

It wasn't a polite laugh, nor a perfunctory one, but a resigned, accepting, and slightly bitter laugh.

"Mr. Mu, you win this time."

"Regarding the Oxford Town Power Company, I will have the State Public Utilities Commission cooperate."

"But there is one condition: this matter cannot have anything to do with me."

"I don't know about it, I didn't participate, I didn't give the nod; everything was decided by the people below."

"Understood," Mu Xin nodded, "This matter has nothing to do with you."

"From beginning to end, you were just supporting infrastructure construction in Ohio, and nothing more."

Governor DeWine looked at him and said seriously.

"And regarding the things you just mentioned, you had better handle them as soon as possible."

"As for your son, next week I will have Jessica contact his law firm to sign a long-term legal service contract," Mu Xin said.

"For your second son, I will generate financing needs, and Victoria will coordinate with him."

"For your daughter, the registration documents for the foundation are already being prepared and it can be established next month."

Governor DeWine took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Mr. Mu, do you know? I have been Governor for so many years and have seen countless people come to make deals with me."

"You are the first one who made me feel like I was the one being arranged."

"Not arranged you," Mu Xin stood up and straightened his collar, "but helped arrange things for your future."

"After you leave office, you won't have to worry about those troublesome things. Your children will have careers, your grandchildren will have good schools to attend, and your family won't decline because you leave office."

Governor DeWine looked at him, silent for a few seconds, then stood up and extended his hand.

"Mr. Mu, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

When Mu Xin walked out of the office building, he stood on the steps, squinting, and took a deep breath.

The sky over Columbus was very blue, so blue it made one want to take another look.

He took his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to Jessica: "Done."

Jessica replied instantly: "What were the terms?"

Mu Xin thought for a moment and typed a few words: "His son and daughter have all been arranged by me."

Jessica sent a string of ellipses, then added: "Mr. Mu, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Mu Xin looked at the message but did not reply. John had already driven the car to the entrance; seeing Mu Xin come out, he got out and opened the back door.

Mu Xin sat in, leaned back in the seat, and closed his eyes.

"How did the talk go?" John asked.

"Very well," Mu Xin said, "It couldn't have gone better."

John didn't ask again and drove peacefully; he knew his place.

Mu Xin leaned back in the seat, eyes closed, his mind racing. The power company matter was settled.

With Governor DeWine giving the word to the State Public Utilities Commission, there would be no obstacles.

On the Town Council side, there was Robert Williams; he wouldn't dare to oppose it, nor did he have any reason to.

As for the acquisition price, the fifteen to twenty million that Victoria estimated should be negotiable, but that wasn't the most important thing.

The most important thing was that once the power company was in his hands, he could begin large-scale power grid upgrades.

Build a new substation to meet the hotel's electricity needs, and while at it, replace all the old power lines in Oxford Town.

These projects could be done by Robert, but Mu Xin didn't want to put all his eggs in Robert's basket.

He needed more construction companies, more workers, and more job opportunities.

More workers meant more population, more population meant more dollars, more dollars meant larger investments, and larger investments meant more workers.

This was a positive cycle, one he created himself that didn't need to rely on any external conditions.

Mu Xin opened his eyes and watched the Columbus streetscape pass by the window.

He remembered the last thing Governor DeWine said: "You are the first one who made me feel like I was the one being arranged."

Being arranged.

Mu Xin smiled. This wasn't being arranged; this was being bound.

From today on, Governor DeWine was no longer his backer, but his partner.

A partner who would protect him politically, cooperate on approvals, and put in a good word for him whenever needed.

And all Mu Xin had to do was ensure that Governor DeWine's children lived better and better.

If they lived well, Governor DeWine would be at ease.

If Governor DeWine was at ease, he would give him everything he could before leaving office.

This was the American game: it's not about who you know, but who can help you know who.

It's not about how much money you have, but how much you are willing to spend to maintain those relationships.

Mu Xin took a look at the system panel.

[Current population of Oxford Town: 9,987]

[Dollars issued today: 9,987,000]

The population had fallen below ten thousand.

But Mu Xin wasn't panicking, because he knew that once the hotel opened, the power company was acquired, and the security company was listed, the population of Oxford Town would go from ten thousand to twenty thousand, from twenty thousand to thirty thousand, and from thirty thousand to fifty thousand.

As for one hundred thousand, that was for the future; it couldn't be rushed, nor could it be forced.

The car got on the highway, and the scenery outside the window changed from city to countryside, and from countryside to cornfields.

Mu Xin leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

John glanced at him in the rearview mirror, turned the air conditioning up by two degrees, and slowed the car down a bit.

He was not a talkative person, but he was a grateful one.

He knew that without Mu Xin, he would still be wandering the streets, and Lily would still be living under someone else's roof at her grandmother's house.

So he only needed to do one thing: protect this man.

This was his job, and also his way of repaying the favor.